KOTTAYAM: For Belgian artist Carl Verhulst, Kerala is far more than the homeland of his wife Leena Samuel, a native of Kanjirappally in Kottayam. It has become an expansive canvas brimming with rich culture and emotions.
Through his creations, the 66-year-old artist has transformed his experiences in Kerala into a visual celebration that transcends boundaries.
Having made Kanjirappally his home for over five years, Verhulst, a native of Flanders in Belgium, has created an impressive collection of paintings inspired by the places he has travelled across Kerala and Tamil Nadu. From serene landscapes to everyday life, his artworks preserve the essence of the people, heritage and natural beauty through a distinctive artistic lens.
His bond with Kerala began in 2000, when he met Leena through pen friend correspondence. Their friendship soon blossomed into marriage. Over the years, the couple divided their time between Belgium, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala until the Covid pandemic interrupted their travels in 2020, forcing both of them to settle in Kerala.
For Verhulst, those journeys turned out as a source of inspiration. Armed with his camera, he photographed everyday scenes, people and memorable sights he encountered, later transforming them into beautiful paintings on canvas. Hailing from the Dutch-speaking Flemish region of Belgium, renowned for its artistic heritage, Verhulst’s paintings with vibrant hues and intricate designs, lure art lovers deeper into its hidden depths and dazzling beauty.
“I started drawing at the age of seven as my drawing school was just across the street. Later, I shifted to painting when I was 15. I like to paint ordinary people and their expressions, villages and everyday life. I get inspiration mainly from people’s expressions and the way they live. I pay special attention to people’s natural expressions, mirroring their inner feelings,” he said.
Most of his works are inspired by rural Kerala and Tamil Nadu. They portray vegetable vendors in markets, woman selling tender coconut on a beach, ice cream vendor by the seaside, and a fish seller on a village street. Verhulst also brought signature images of Kerala on canvas such as blooming water lilies of Malarikkal and the famed Nehru Trophy Boat Race.
Rather than reproducing photographs, Verhulst reimagines into his own composition. The pictures with striking scenes, places and people are being blended with elements from different locations to create an entirely different and original composition. “There is a painting in which a woman sits on rock rubble near trees. I got the picture from Greece, while the background is from Italy. I combined them and improvised to make my own composition.”
Most of Verhulst’s paintings are created using acrylic on canvas. According to him, acrylic offers a more direct approach to painting, allowing him to work in one stretch on the painting.